Not Your Whipping Boy
by tetsia.howard
Summary: Prompt Contest: Tsuna hosts his first party at Vongola HQ. Summary: What happens when Tsuna overhears something he shouldn't? 5YL Vongola, family bonding, Tsuna taking responsibility. *Updated just to add an AN*


Theme: Tsuna hosts his first ever mafia party at the Vongola HQ. The rest of the details are up to you.  
Genre: Any except romance.  
Pairings: None.  
Rating: K through M.  
Minimum length: Three thousand words.  
Maximum length: Thirty thousand words.  
Deadline: December first, eight o'clock pm EST.

_It all started about 6 months ago._

_Timoteo had called a meeting of Vongola allies to discuss his retirement now that Tsuna was officially his heir and old enough to take over the family. Ten families had assembled at the Vongola Mansion in Nono's office, eagerly awaiting the Decimo-to-be so they could determine the future._

_Tsuna, however, was in the small infirmary, holding the hand of his male Mist Guardian gently as Ryohei's flames worked on nasty injuries Mukuro had received from his most recent mission. The illusionist had been carried back to the mansion by his tiny counterpart, who looked about ready to collapse herself as she stood in the foyer and called desperately for help. It was one of the few times the Guardians had ever heard her raise her voice, and even the stoic Hibari had come running. _

_Tsuna winced at the memory of watching Gokudera running ahead of everyone opening doors. Chrome was slung bridal-style in Yamamoto's arms where he'd caught her when her legs gave out. Hibari had picked the injured Mukuro up, making Tsuna's eyes widen for a moment before he realized that Ryohei's hands were needed for running healing, the bright yellow flames steady despite the speed they all moved through the halls. Guess all that cross-country training actually had paid off for something besides boxing._

_A soft sigh behind him caused the tenth-generation Vongola leader to turn his head, eyes narrowed protectively as he stroked the illusionist's hand. Chrome was sleeping in the far bed and Tsuna had intentionally put himself between them and the door, knowing there were families other than his own at the mansion. "What is it, Reborn?"_

_"You're late, Dame-Tsuna. You shouldn't keep mafia bosses waiting, it's rude." _

_Tsuna shook his head stubbornly, turning back to his Guardian. "They can wait, or reschedule. Until Mukuro is out of danger, I'll be here. My friends' lives are more important that Nonno's retirement party." _

_The note of finality in his ex-pupil's voice took the hitman by surprise. "Your alliances are important, Tsuna, and not to be lightly dismissed."_

_"Lightly?!" The hiss of anger from Tsuna had Reborn shadowing his face with his fedora to hide his shock. "Mukuro may die, and Chrome is exhausted to the point of having trouble maintaining her own organs. Which wouldn't be a problem if _Vongola allies _would stop dragging their feet about _allowing _me to use funds to save her. So, no, Reborn, I'm not dismissing them 'lightly'." _

_During this speech, the Decimo hadn't bothered to turn around, but Reborn could see the dark spots on the covers of the illusionist's bed and sighed again. "You have 30 minutes, Dame-Tsuna. Don't be late." He turned on his heel, walking out. _

_Twenty-nine minutes later, the Vongola Decimo was at the door of his grandfather's office, Gokudera in front of him to open it. Voices on the other side had him put a hand on the Storm's arm, head tilted as he listened. "Over an hour we've been waiting, and for what!? That criminal to finally croak so the boy can pick a decent Mist Guardian? He should just hurry up and do it already."_

_Tsuna gritted his teeth as another voice wafted through the door, and Gokudera looked at him with concern. "I don't know what you were thinking, letting that child call in so many Vongola markers just to free that crazy bastard… and then to allow him to appoint him a Guardian? That was a mistake, Timoteo."_

_Reborn's voice carried weight, and an almost soothing quality for the young Don as it reached him as well. "The choice of the Guardians is up to the Don of the family, not up for debate by the alliances of said family. Vongola does not answer to other families, we have earned that right." _

_"We're all rather surprised at you, Reborn. Allowing your pupil to make such dubious choices. The ex-convict, the cripple, the bastard, the Bovino child… the only acceptable choices were the three students from that school. At least they are obviously suited for this life, and aren't tainted."_

_Tsuna decided that enough was enough. He looked at Gokudera, who, though quietly seething, nodded and opened the door for his boss. "I'm sorry to keep you gentlemen waiting. I hope that Reborn was able to explain the situation to you." He turned to Gokudera, knowing the bomber would have a difficult time holding it together right now. "Thank you, Hayato. I'll let you know when I'm done here." He smiled warmly at his Storm, knowing the time they had spent together would allow the fiery young man to read his unspoken plea. Gokudera simply nodded, bowed, and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him._

_"Now then, Grandfather, I still think it's far too early for you to consider retirement." He smiled warmly at the older man, no hint that he'd heard anything on his face as the allies finally got down to their meeting._

_But he knew what needed to be done. He would wait until his beloved grandfather had retired, though… no point in scandalizing the older generation with his temerity._

And now, six months later, Timoteo was living comfortably in a villa in southern Italy with his Guardians and Tsuna was the official Vongola Decimo. This party was his first official gathering of all of his allies, and he decided, would be the place where he would make his stand on some things. Reborn had argued with him… loudly… but the young Don was not going to be persuaded. That overheard conversation had given the boy nightmares, and he was planning on putting them to rest.

His large caramel eyes stared back at him from the mirror, as he attempted to control his gravity-defying auburn hair. His black and yellow silk shirt was half-unbuttoned and his cloak that so resembled Primo's was draped across his chair, waiting patiently. Tsuna heaved a sigh, giving his hair up as a lost cause when a sharp knock broke the silence of his bedroom.

"Juudaime, are you ready yet?" The concerned voice of his right-hand man was quickly followed by silver hair as Gokudera walked into his boss' room, looking sharp in his black suit and crimson silk shirt. Yamamoto trailed behind, his Shigure Kintoki strapped to his back despite the crisp black suit and deep blue shirt he wore.

"Almost, Hayato… I almost wish I had allowed Reborn to talk me out of it." Tsuna quickly finished buttoning his shirt and grabbed his mantle, throwing it around his shoulders and attaching the gold chain. "I have a bad feeling about tonight."

"There's still time to back out, Tsuna. The allied Families need to see that Vongola's leader is capable despite your youth and inexperience. The best way to do that is for them to see you. You're the one who decided you needed to be heard as well." The Storm guardian helped straighten his Sky's mantle with a respectful smile as Yamamoto's words stiffened their boss' resolve. "All seven of us have tried to change your mind about this, but sometimes you can be as stubborn as the kid."

"I know, I know. All right, I think I'm ready." _Or at least as ready as I'll ever be._ "Where is everyone else?"

"Chrome is waiting outside as your escort, the pineapple bastard and the Skylark are checking over security again. Turf-top will be here shortly, he had to drop the girls off at Sawada-san's. There's a smaller contingency of guards there, like we discussed." Tsuna knew he was going to upset people tonight, and didn't want the girls in danger. All of the Guardians had agreed to that and Hibari had personally picked the guards stationed at his mother's house.

Tsuna nodded at this information, turning from his Rain and Storm to pull his gloves and Vongola gear on. A deep breath steadied him and he turned back to them with his gentle smile. "All right. Time to go." He stepped past the two and opened the door to a patiently waiting Chrome, her violet eye set off by a pale lavender gown delicately adorned with embroidered roses. Her typical eyepatch was replaced with a bit of purple silk with a matching embroidered rose, and her hair, normally piled up in her Mukuro-sama's typical style, was loose and flowing down her back like a soft waterfall. The Vongola Decimo smiled warmly at her, extending his arm. "You look beautiful, Chrome-chan. Thank you for this."

The formal words made the quiet Mist blush. As she stepped up to take his arm, she laid a soft kiss on his cheek. "Bossu looks wonderful as well. Please do not worry. Your Guardians are here, and nothing will go wrong." The almost gentle force of her will calmed the Sky even more. "Thank you, Bossu… I know this won't be easy, but Mukuro-sama and I appreciate it." Tsuna blushed slightly and squeezed her arm gently in acknowledgement.

"Arigato. Let's get downstairs, I wouldn't want to get a reputation for tardiness." With Gokudera on his right flank and Yamamoto on Chrome's left, the four made their way down the grand staircase towards the softly playing orchestra in the grand ballroom.

As the four Guardians entered the ballroom, a hush fell over the crowd for a moment. Tsuna stood, calmly surveying the gathering of mafia as they stared back. Dark suits filled the room, with bright shots of color from various ball gowns breaking up the somber affair. Reborn stood off to one side, an almost full tumbler of amber liquid in his hand, observing both the reactions of the room and his former pupil through a down-tilted fedora. Tsuna's eyes barely glanced at the infamous hitman before continuing through the room. He gave brief nods to the Shimon and Chiavarone Dons, noting the tightness around the eyes of both Enma and his Dino-nii. He knew they were worried, but something else seemed to be wrong. A quick mental note to question them later was made before he and his entourage walked into the throng.

Everyone was well aware that this party, the first thrown by the youngest Don of the Vongola Famiglia, was a test. A test of the Decimo and his Guardians in their abilities to deal with other families and a test of the families invited to see where their loyalties lay. After about an hour and a half of mingling and small talk that was filled more with poison barbs than pleasant banter, Tsuna could feel the tightening of his forehead that indicated a particularly nasty migraine coming. He glanced around again and saw, to his immense relief, that he was near the balcony doors, and that Dino was already standing out there. The blonde Chiavarone held a tumbler of deep amber liquid up, shaking it invitingly at the brunette, who allowed the briefest grin before he joined his 'older brother' in the cool evening air. Gokudera and Yamamoto, who'd been by Tsuna the whole evening, took up places by the door so the two bosses could converse without being disturbed. A murmured request from Chrome and a nod from her boss sent the pretty Mist guardian off in search of Mukuro, who hadn't been seen all evening.

"How are you enjoying yourself, Dino-nii?" Tsuna couldn't help the light teasing in his voice as he accepted the glass of brandy the older Don proffered. He knew he wasn't imagining the tightness around Dino's eyes as the blonde looked down at him for a moment before turning to look at the night sky.

"This has probably been one of the best and worst parties I've ever attended, little bro." The startling honesty slid quietly from Dino's lips and he took a sip of his own drink before continuing. "They're being mostly polite to your face, but the things being said behind your back are enough to make me want to dump my drink over Enzo."

Tsuna's eyes widened at the thought of his older brother being so obviously violent, and he felt a slight smirk spread across his face, though he knew it didn't reach his eyes. "Oh? Though I appreciate the thought of you protecting me, Dino-nii, I'd prefer to keep my home intact. I know how spiteful these people can be behind my back. What exactly has gotten you so angry?"

"It's not just me. Reborn is irritated as well, and we had to move Bianchi away from the buffet. You're going to have to make your speech soon, Tsuna, though I'd rather it wasn't necessary. Quite a few of the people here are questioning the choices you've made for Guardians, and I know that you're going to upset more than a couple people tonight. Though I know your reasons, you're going to lose some of Vongola's oldest allies by protecting your friends from gossip." The blonde winced a bit, feeling the sudden surge of anger coming from his precious little brother.

Tsuna's eyes flickered to an amber that matched the color of the drink in his glass, and he turned his head slightly. "If they spend their time talking poorly about my family, I can't believe they're doing anything useful for the alliance. I will NOT have people under Vongola's protection and using my Familigia's name if they are not willing to return that protection." He turned to his best friends as Dino nodded. Really, the blonde Don had been expecting that response, but he had to try one last time. "Takeshi, please have Reborn come here. Hayato, tell Kyoya that I want him and the other Guardians inside immediately. Have Fuuta, and Bianchi meet me here as well." He watched as Yamamoto strode away, easily slipping through the crowd with polite smiles and delicate movements. Gokudera flipped open his cellphone immediately and started speaking in terse commands, calling the Guardians from outside.

With an almost inaudible sigh, Tsuna leaned against the balcony rail, his drink held idly in his hand. Reborn had taught him the trick of lifting the glass to his lips to make it look like he was drinking without actually imbibing. He had no intention of being in anything but top form when his time in the spotlight was at hand. To anyone who didn't know the young man, he seemed completely at ease, catching his breath with an old friend and his Famiglia's closest ally. Dino, however, could see the tension buzzing across him like a tight wire and Reborn's eyes were just as sharp as he walked over with Bianchi on his arm and the baseball idol at his back.

"You requested my presence, Decimo?" Ah… they were definitely playing a dangerous game tonight. Tsuna almost wished the feared hitman had called him 'Dame-Tsuna', giving him at least the false sense of security. But that was never really Reborn's way, especially since this was really the first thing outside of a life or death battle that Tsuna had ever opposed him on.

"Hai, Reborn, Bianchi. It's almost time for my speech, and I wouldn't want my advisor and the Poison Scorpion to miss it." He gave Bianchi a once-over and couldn't prevent the slight smile on his face. His best friend's sister was quite beautiful in a deep purple and pink sheath dress, with a delicate pair of purple shades adorning her face. He appreciated the gesture that she showed in allowing his right hand man to stay upright and thanked her silently with a kiss on her cheek.

She narrowed her eyes at him, studying the young boss' face before stepping back and taking Reborn's arm again. She was actually quite proud of him, and the fact that he was planning on publicly defending the brother she'd spent years trying to privately defend only raised her esteem of him. "Of course, Tsuna. We wouldn't miss it."

Everyone turned as the chatter in the room swelled slightly. A moment later, Ryohei and Lambo made their way onto the balcony, the ten year old Lightning Guardian taking two steps for every one of the older Sun Guardian's. The bright yellow and green silk shirts they wore proclaimed for all to see exactly who they were, as Tsuna had wanted. Chrome and Mukuro followed behind shortly after. The male Mist Guardian, resplendent in his black suit and indigo shirt, kept his eyes on Tsuna as if his Sky was the only thing anchoring him at the moment. Chrome's hand on his arm steered him gently through the mafiosa he detested and Tsuna moved up a bit to greet them and pull them to the balcony, his fingers threading with Mukuro's for a moment in understanding. The taller man gave him a wan smile of appreciation as Hibari's purple and black ensemble forced people to part for him. His lip was curled and he kept a hand on the shoulder of the sandy-haired 'Ranking Fuuta', dressed in a pure white suit with a sky blue shirt. Fuuta's eyes also brightened at the sight of his Tsuna-nii, and he bit his lip to keep from running over to him, obvious relief and fear warring in his dark gaze. Tsuna smiled warmly at the young man, running a comforting hand through his sandy hair before moving back out onto the balcony. He could hear the whispers and outright comments being made from the ballroom floor, and it took everything in his power to control his Flame and turn his back on the assembled mafia families.

"All right, minna-san, the whole point to this little party is about to come to a head. Oni-san, the girls are safe, correct?" When the older boxer nodded briefly, without even a muttered 'extreme', Tsuna straightened his shoulders. "Good. Then it's time to put an end to all this garbage for the evening. Kyoya, I want your eyes on Fuuta until after the speech, and then I'm going to ask you to get him out of here before you retire for the evening." The Skylark gave a soft 'hn' as Fuuta shifted closer to him. "Mukuro, can you do this?"

The illusionist took a deep breath, stepped away from his Chrome and gave Tsuna one of his best warped grins. "Ku fu fu fu, I'd like to see you stop me, Tsunayoshi-kun. Let us deal with these unsightly creatures so that my beloved Nagi and I can also retire, as I have no interest in small talk with the lot of them." His lip curled as he spared a single glance for the curiousity-ridden guests of the Vongola.

"I apologize, Mukuro, but I'll need Chrome here after all is said and done. I've arranged for Ken and Chikusa to come pick you up, though." The male Mist Guardian sighed softly and nodded in acquiescence. "As you wish, little Vongola."

"Lambo, keep your head in the game and your mouth shut. The same goes for you, Hayato. Let me handle them." When he received grudging confirmations from his two fiery Guardians, Tsuna extended his arm towards Chrome with a smile. "Would you do me the honors once again, Chrome?" She blushed prettily and took his arm. The small hand in his was steady and the Vongola Decimo took heart from that, lifting his head high and walking out amongst his guests to the small stage that had been erected in the ballroom.

The large group made a rather impressive showing as they took the stage, turning themselves to look out over the crowd. Chrome's solitary eye watched the gathered mafiosa calmly as she leaned on Tsuna's arm. Gokudera stood with his hands behind his back at his Sky's right side, unconsciously fingering the rings on his own right hand as he calculated the biggest dangers to his Juudaime and family. Yamamoto stood behind Chrome, his normally infectious grin replaced with an almost cold smile. Behind Yamamoto, Mukuro stood next to Reborn and Bianchi, an obvious showing that the ex-Arcobaleno had accepted the ex-convict. Lambo had straightened himself up as much as possible and put himself on Mukuro's other side, watching the assemblage with a bored air, his left eye already drooping closed. Ryohei and Hibari flanked Fuuta, standing off to the side and slightly behind Gokudera. The energetic boxer couldn't quite help the reflexive flexing and unflexing of his fists, while the stoic Cloud simply glared out at the crowd, a softly muttered, 'Herbivores…' heard only by his family.

Tsuna's eyes flickered to his Cloud and he allowed himself the smirk that wanted to cross his face before turning back to the waiting crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, allies, thank you for attending the Midsummer Vongola Ball. We're glad so many of you were able to be present this evening." Reborn shadowed his eyes with his fedora, hiding the amusement at how easily Tsuna had slipped into lying. The Decimo's voice brought his face back up slightly as the speech continued. "With any luck, I will do half as well as Decimo as Timoteo did as Nonno." He smiled warmly, the self-deprecation obviously approved of by the crowd. After a moment of cheers and well-wishes, he became serious, his large eyes seeming to look at each individual person before moving on. "However, just as a new CEO must make some changes for the betterment of a company after the old one retires, so too must Vongola change if it's going to prosper in coming years." The soft swelling of confused voices inwardly pleased the young Don, though he had schooled his features not to show it.

"Rumors abound about me, my home life, my ability to lead, my ability to choose Guardians… rumors I would lay to rest as quickly as possible. I have no wish of _worrying_ my allies with my 'bad' decisions, so I will, just this once, lay these decisions out on the table for all to see." The heavy sarcasm warred with his gentle features, and his Guardians actually winced slightly, having been on the receiving end of the sarcasm and the painful truths that came after a few too many times.

Bianchi watched Tsuna with the practiced eye of the guide and older sister she had become and was a bit surprised at how grown up the current Vongola had become. He stood with an easy grace, his hand resting chivalrously on Chrome's as he waited for the muttering to die down. She was once again reminded of how lucky her brother had been to come to Tsuna, and how lucky she herself had been to be accepted into the young Don's family.

After allowing everyone to digest his words, he held up his free hand, motioning for silence. "My home life, my parentage, my past… these are all things of record and you can look them up at your leisure. If you have questions after you've spent time looking them up, you're welcome to come to me privately and ask." He smiled warmly again, taking a step away from Chrome, who settled herself behind him in a ready stance, awaiting trouble. "However, many of you have taken it upon yourselves to publicly question my Guardians, and the choices I've made about the people in my family. Since you've decided to publicly harangue and humiliate them, I shall have to publicly erase the rumors my _allies_ have been spreading in order to protect the people who protect me." This time, the biting sarcasm wasn't missed by anyone, and some of the younger Dons shuffled nervously.

"So, shall I start with my right-hand?" He motioned for Gokudera to move forward, and rested a hand on his shoulder when the Storm complied. "Let's start with what you see, and then I'll tell you why I chose him. But know this… after I explain my decision for each of my family members, if I EVER hear even the slightest titter about them from my allies, your family will be dropped. I send these dear friends out to protect my allies. Why should they bother protecting those who spend their times listening to, or creating rumors about them? Vongola has enough trouble with our enemies; I don't need my allies turning on me as well." The boy was far too familiar with bullies of both the physical and psychological type, and refused to countenance even the thought of his friends having to deal with that on top of risking their lives. The fierce glare he turned on the assembled guests had many wondering what it was they had gotten themselves into.

Reborn sighed almost inaudibly. He knew exactly what was going through Tsuna's head, and though he was not happy with the public way his ex-pupil had decided to do this, he couldn't fault the boy's reasoning. Sometimes Tsuna was so much like Giotto, it was frightening.

"I believe the most common phrases I hear surrounding my Storm Guardian range from 'bastard' to 'useless piano-player'. Even his nickname, Smoking Bomb Hayato, does nothing to instill fear in the mafia world, only in those foolish enough to cross his path. Just another mafia brat who tried to make a name for himself and managed to slink his way into a family because the boss was too young, too foolish, too innocent to know any better." Tsuna smirked and shook his head. "Wrong. Hayato is a precious member of my family and a brother to me, not because of his parentage but because of his unwavering loyalty and immense intelligence. A past does not make a future, a father does not make a son, and I consider it the ultimate show of foolishness that none of you took in this young man to obtain his loyalty for yourselves because of his parentage. But, your prejudice is my gain after all. Hayato is my right hand man and Storm guardian because I know that he will use his incredible abilities and intelligence to protect not only myself, but the rest of my family that I prize above all others. He is my best friend and brother because he was one of the first two people who ever accepted me as a friend, and as a person. He is truly at the center of every attack on my Famiglia and I thank the gods that he decided to stay with me."

He turned a bit, holding a hand out to Bianchi, who looked surprised, but took the proffered hand and stepped up. "And of course, if I hadn't met Hayato, I wouldn't have Bianchi in my life either. Fiercely loyal and protective, I trust the Poison Scorpion with something even more precious than my Guardians… the rather large adoptive family that my mother has claimed." He lifted her hand, dropping a kiss on it with courtly aplomb. "I could not imagine my life without the Storm siblings that have helped make me the man I am today." He inwardly grinned at Bianchi's stunned expression and the rare blush that graced her cheeks. She had not been planning on being included in this, but Tsuna knew he had to do a thorough thing of it, or the rumors would crop back up again.

"J-Juudaime…" The fiery dynamite specialist practically whispered in awe, reminded once again why he followed his precious boss. While his sister drove him crazy, he was still fiercely protective of her, and recognized that Tsuna wasn't just praising his sister, but was officially offering her the protection of Vongola, something neither of the siblings had thought he felt a need to do.

Tsuna simply nodded to Gokudera and gestured him back. He quickly obeyed, turning triumphant green orbs on the guests, not bothering to hide how much pride the Sky's words had given him. To his left, Yamamoto's eyes held an equally fierce pride, and his smile dared the mafiosa in front of them to argue.

That pride turned to mild surprise and he gave an embarrassed grin when Tsuna turned to him. "Takeshi…" The Rain Guardian stepped forward and Tsuna turned to look back at the assembled guests. "You all think of him as a natural hitman… even the Varia have had their eyes on him, training him and grooming him probably in an effort to steal him away from me." The large brown eyes actually danced, and Xanxus, having arrived only a few moments before, raised a glass in mocking acknowledgement. When the guests turned to see who he was looking at, the Varia's wide grins and assortment of openly flashed weaponry caused all of their eyes to widen.

Behind him, Tsuna heard Reborn give a start of surprise, his suit shifting suddenly. That he was able to surprise his ex-tutor filled the young man with pride. The Varia had been rather easy to invite, actually. The Decimo knew that despite his feelings toward Tsuna personally, Xanxus loved the Vongola and would stand by his Don's decisions as long as he was allowed his normal free reign with the Varia. In the future-that-would-never-be, Tsuna had gotten some insight into what made the Varia leader, and its eclectic members, tick, and no longer feared them as he once did. Yeah, they were all psychopathic assassins that spent as much time as possible causing trouble… but they were HIS psychopathic assassins.

"But, they can't have him. Takeshi is my brother, my left hand, and I could not imagine my day without his soothing smile and calming presence. I don't see a hitman… I see a baseball idol and the second of the first two people to ever accept me as a friend."

Yamamoto draped an arm over his boss, ruffling his hair. "Maa maa, Tsuna, it was more a matter of you accepting yourself than anything else." He laughed warmly as he stepped back, smiling at Gokudera who, for once, wasn't spluttering about him being too familiar with their boss. Then he blinked a bit, because the Storm actually grinned back at him. Maybe they would be able to get through this without bloodshed.

"Onii-san…" Ryohei stepped forward, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. Tsuna always considered the possibility that his Sun had ADHD, and this was one of those times. "No, I won't join the boxing club."

Ryohei blinked a bit, staring at his boss before throwing his head back and laughing heartily. "Then I guess I'll just have to join your family to the EXTREME instead, Sawada!" He fist-pumped enthusiastically before heading back to his spot.

That was pretty much exactly what Tsuna was expecting, so he just let the boxer go and turned to Lambo.

"Tsuna-nii." Lambo moved up and wrapped his arms around the Vongola boss. "I've got this." The ten-year old Lightning smirked out at the guests, insolence in every line of his body. "I don't need Vongola to speak for me, cuz he never wanted me as a Guardian so young anyway. But he's protected me, watched out for me, and took me in when my own family sent me on a suicide mission to be rid of me." The Vongola boss put his arm around Lambo's shoulders with a soft sigh. "I owe a debt not to the boss of the Vongola, but to the Sawadas who took in an obnoxious, cry baby child and turned him into a young man." A soft snort and mutter of, "You're still a crybaby," came from behind him and Lambo grinned, turning to stick his tongue out at the Storm guardian. He turned back to the guests. "Yes, I am young… but I'm strong, and dedicated to my Tsuna-nii." He walked back to his spot, a hand lightly touching Gokudera on the way, who just nodded. When he got next to Mukuro, the young Bovino took the illusionist's hand and held it for a moment. He knew that Mukuro was still recovering, and he was more than aware that he would be the last Guardian to go, because he was the one everyone had the biggest problem with. What he couldn't figure out, as the Lightning Guardian, was how to take the damage for the older Mist this time. It bothered him to no end that in this, a war of words rather than bullets, there would be no protecting the secretly frail ex-convict.

Tsuna turned from his Lightning Guardian, his own eyes filled with pride at the way the young boy had grown. He turned to his Cloud and laughed softly. "Kyoya… really, if anyone needs to know why I chose Kyoya, go talk to the people we went to school with. Or count the bruises on Don Chiavarone." Dino laughed from the crowd softly as Hibari gave a soft 'hn' and opened his pocket. Hibird flew out and landed on Tsuna's head, chirping 'Omnivore, omnivore,' over and over again. The brown-haired Decimo nodded slightly in acceptance once again of his Cloud's opinion and nickname.

After a moment, Tsuna turned to Mukuro, gesturing him forward. The illusionist flashed a bright grin and stepped up, leaning on his trident negligently. "Will you defend me to these dogs as well, Tsunayoshi-kun?"

Returning the grin, Tsuna shrugged. "I regret the necessity, my dear friend." _That I have to defend any of you is infuriating, but you and Chrome-chan most of all… I apologize for the rudeness, Mukuro._

The illusionist simply nodded and waved a hand, motioning him to continue. "Since the white knight suits you, I'll allow it." The guests hissed at this, who did that jailbird think he was?!

Tsuna turned narrowed eyes on the crowd, not appreciating their opinions at the moment. "Thing of nightmares, isn't he? Terrifying what he did to his own family; not to mention his anger, his revenge, his abilities… Probably should have just left him locked up. Safer for everyone, really…" Tsuna's smile was ice cold, contrasting his eyes that burned with an inner rage. "I used to be scared of him too… I mean, who wouldn't be terrified of the great Rokudo Mukuro, the illusionist hell-bent on destroying everything the mafia holds dear… oh, wait…" Tsuna tilted his head slightly, the absolutely adorable gesture marred by his disgust. "Child slavery, abuse, experimentation on innocent children. Seems to me that there are more nightmarish things being done than anything one of my Mist Guardians could come up with. Probably where he learned it from, really…" He shook his head. "And believe me when I say that if I hear about ANY of that from the people who come to us looking for help, for alliances, for friendship… what happened to the Estraneos will seem merciful. Our children should be loved, cherished, and treasured, not used as pawns and science experiments."

He reached a hand back and Chrome stepped next to him, twining her fingers with his. She wasn't thrilled with being in the limelight, honestly, but she had been waiting for this moment for quite some time. There was something to be said for silence, and it was something she practiced frequently, but this time, she knew that silence was not what her boss wanted. "Mukuro-sama is neither kind nor gentle, because he has known very little kindness in his life. But he is committed to Bossu, and this family, as am I. Both of us abused as children, him with violence, myself with silence and indifference. Neither of us knew the real meaning of the words 'family' or 'love'. Bossu showed us those meanings, the real ones, for which we are eternally grateful. We are the Mist, and we will gladly cover the Family webs of deceit to protect them. But we would never deceive our boss, or the Guardians that I consider siblings." She was almost shaking, as she rarely spoke this much, and never to this many people.

Tsuna released her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders, his other arm slipping around Mukuro's waist. The male Mist gave a lecherous grin as his arm went around his smaller boss' shoulders, touching Chrome lightly. Tsuna knew the ex-convict was tactile because of his years of solitude in Vendicare, and didn't even flinch at the gesture. "These two have defended my family, not just my mafia family, but the people that I care most about in this world, many times through misdirection and sometimes with their own blood. I would never allow anyone else to stand in their stead, nor will I choose one over the other, as Guardians or family, because they are equal and important in my life." He tilted his up to kiss Mukuro on the cheek and smirked at the soft 'ku fu fu' as he turned to bestow the same on his gentle female Mist. The warm chocolate eyes were soft as they turned back to the guests. "As a matter of fact, that was reason, six months ago, that I was late for Grandfather's meeting. My Mist Guardians had heard of someone targeting my mother, and my little sister, I-Pin, in an attempt to gain control of the Ranking Prince, whom I consider a little brother, and as most of you know, is under my protection. Despite their powerful illusions, the assassins had come very close to my family, and the Mists were forced to take up arms in their defense. Chrome was laid up for more than a week as we struggled to give her the strength to maintain herself again, and Mukuro was almost comatose for over a month even with my Sun's healing flames. If, of course, my _allies_ had seen fit to _allow_ my grandfather to give me the money and assistance that I requested, Chrome's recovery would have been quicker, but apparently it doesn't bother anyone else that she's sustaining herself with her flames, rather than real organs."

At this, an older, deep voice spoke from the middle of the crowd. "What are you speaking of, Decimo? Nonno allowed you to pull in the majority of Vongola favor markers simply to free your Mist Guardian, what else do you need money for? There have never been two Guardians of the same Ring." The Don of the Ivarucci Family glared up at the Vongola tenth generation, not realizing the grave error he had just made.

Tsuna froze, his whole body rigid as he stared directly at the older man who had spoken. The other guests moved away from him slightly, knowing he had overstepped an unseen boundary line. His own guards moved in front of him, expecting an attack. They were probably just reacting to the Guardians around Tsuna, all of whom had taken up fighting stances and moved up around their boss and the smaller Mist Guardian. "So, because I already have one Mist Guardian, I should simply let Chrome die, or suffer, because 'who needs her'?" The Decimo's voice was ice cold. "Let me make this perfectly clear, to everyone. I have two Mist Guardians. Not because I'm greedy, or because I have something to prove… but because both Mukuro and Chrome have proved themselves to me time and time again, and because I love them."

"Xanxus, would you please have someone escort the Ivaruccis out? The Vongola have no need for anyone who is foolish enough to tell me that one of my Guardians is expendable." The Varia leader smirked and motioned slightly. Belphegor and the ex-Arcobaleno Mammon stepped forward, flanking the guards of the Ivarucci Don.

"You can't simply kick us out of the alliance, Sawada!"

"I believe I just did." Tsuna motioned to the Varia Storm and Mist, who gathered the Ivaruccis up and hustled them out. "I am not an unfeeling man, and I understand that my Familigia stands between some of you and death, or disbanding. I know that alliances between the families are important. However, if you consider the lives of my family as worth so little, than I cannot help but believe that if I ask you for assistance, you will refuse should the person asking not be someone to your liking. That's not what an alliance is for. If anyone else is of the same opinion, you're free to leave now."

When no one moved, Tsuna nodded, waving his Guardians back and taking Chrome's hand again. "I consider you all to be allies of Vongola, and as such, I expect you to act accordingly. I will not come into your house and ask you why you chose your spouses, or why you keep your children… do not come to my home and presume to ask why I chose my family. I understand that my choices are not the popular choice, which is why I took the time to explain it to you this evening." He smiled rather warmly at the guests, finally getting past the rage that had whipped through him earlier. "Some of my Guardians and I will be at your disposal for the rest of the evening. Please, enjoy the party."

The sound of someone moving up to him turned his attention from his guests as they started softly talking amongst themselves again. Hibari's hand on his shoulder made him look at the Cloud curiously. "Kyoya?"

Hibari leaned over slightly, smirking. "You did well, omnivore. I'm taking the child to Sawada-san's, and then I have my rounds."

Tsuna nodded. "Arigato, Kyoya. Fuuta, don't wait up for us, we'll see you in the morning." The Ranking Prince smiled and nodded before walking off with Hibari. A bit of motion in his hair made Tsuna laugh softly. Apparently, Hibari was still planning on observing the party, as Hibird made himself comfortable in the Don's auburn locks.

Mukuro sighed softly and motioned in the opposite direction. "I shall take my leave as well, Tsunayoshi-kun. I shall see you tomorrow, when the air is clearer. Take care of my darling Nagi this evening."

Tsuna nodded, wincing at how pale his Mist was. He knew Mukuro was using an illusion to make himself look better, but he had long ago learned how to see past those. "The boys are waiting outside for you; we'll meet up tomorrow afternoon. Thank you, Mukuro." A sigh escaped him as he watched the illusionist glide out the back of the ballroom.

Chrome took Tsuna's hand to get his attention. "Reborn-sama says we have to mingle now, Bossu. He doesn't seem happy."

"No, he probably isn't, Chrome. But he'll just have to deal with it. He taught me how to be a boss, but it's up to me how I use his lessons."

Standing a bit behind him, Reborn smirked, stroking Leon as Bianchi spoke with her brother. "It's about time, Dame-Tsuna."

_Later that evening_

"Yes, the Ivarucci's are no longer accepted in the Alliance. Iemitsu was throwing a fit because Tsuna is 'damaging the Vongola reputation' and the boy just stood there, let him yell, then calmly told him that he knew the Vongola reputation meant more to the External Advisor than his family, and he didn't hold it against him. When he started spluttering again, that Dame kid said, and I quote, 'Just because you feel no guilt at abandoning your family, that does not mean I'll follow in your footsteps. Your concerns have been noted.'" The sound of amused pride in Reborn's voice as he reported to Timoteo made the retired Ninth smirk.

"I'm surprised he moved so fast, honestly. He'll be just fine, Reborn. Try to keep him from kicking too many people out… who knew he had a temper like that?"

Reborn smirked at the phone and nodded. He knew… "Of course. I can't wait to start planning the next party."

AN: There's a new poll on my profile. I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in knowing how the Tenth Generation got to this point. Please vote, and reviews are always love. ^.^


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